Gather thistles, expect prickles.
Meaning: Planting harmful seeds guarantees painful consequences; you reap what you sow literally and figuratively.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Roses, mind you, have thorns. — Beauty demands caution; attractive things often conceal hidden dangers or painful consequ…
- Second thoughts are best. — Hasty decisions often falter; pausing to reconsider reveals wiser paths forward.
- Every tide has its ebb. — Periods of decline inevitably follow periods of flourishing; change is the only constant…
- Too far east is west. — Extreme pursuit of one direction eventually leads you backward toward your opposite goal.
- Utility is preferable to grandeur. — Practical usefulness in daily life matters more than impressive but ornamental displays o…
- War is death's feast. — Conflict creates abundant opportunity for mortality, making death thrive where violence s…
From our false friends
- Simpatichny (Симпатичный) (Simpatichnyy) — Actually means 'good-looking' or 'likeable'. For sympathetic, say сочувствующий (sochuvst…
- Aktualny (Актуальный) (Aktualnyy) — Actually means 'topical' or 'currently relevant'. For actual (real), say настоящий (nasto…
- Artist (Артист) (Artist) — Actually means 'performer' — an actor, singer or circus artiste. A painter is художник (k…